Creative Writing_ How to unlock your imagination, develop your writing skills - and get published

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Published by How To Content A division of How To Books Ltd Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road, Begbroke, Oxford OX5 1RX. United Kingdom. Tel: (01865) 375794. Fax: (01865) 379162. email: [email protected] www.howtobooks.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or stored in an information retrieval system (other than for purposes of review) without the express permission of the publisher in writing. The right of Ade` le Ramet to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. © Copyright 2007 Ade` le Ramet First published 1997 Second edition 1999 Third edition 2001 Fourth edition 2003 Fifth edition 2004 Sixth edition 2006 Seventh edition 2007 First published in electronic form 2007 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 1 84803 222 4 Cover design by Baseline Arts Ltd, Oxford Produced for How To Books by Deer Park Productions, Tavistock Typeset by PDQ Typesetting, Newcastle- under-Lyme, Staffs NOTE: The material contained in this book is set out in good faith for general guidance and no liability can be accepted for loss or expense incurred as a result of relying in particular circumstances on statements made in the book. Laws and regulations are complex and liable to change, and readers should check the current

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Contents ix List of illustrations xi Preface xii Acknowledgements 1 1 1 Getting started 3 Making time to write 5 Where do you get your ideas? 6 Writing aurally and visually 7 Drawing on your own experiences 9 Looking back into your past 11 Read, read, read 11 Checklist Assignment 12 12 2 Writing non-fiction 12 Writing about what you know 12 Case study 14 Letting off steam 18 Changing work into leisure 23 Relating your life-story 27 Telling travellers’ tales 28 Case study 29 Finding funny moments 29 Following where your ideas lead you 30 Checklist Assignment 31 31 3 Creating fictional characters 35 Basing characters on real people 36 Case study 38 Visualising backgrounds 41 Involving yourself in your characters’ lives 44 Changing the character 45 Relating to your character Case study v

vi / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G How would you react if they approached you? 46 Creating conflict 48 Checklist 50 Assignment 50 4 Setting and atmosphere 52 Getting a feel of place and time 52 Visiting locations 55 Case study 57 Case study 61 Imagining what it would be like to be there 62 Wearing different clothes and costumes 63 Checklist 66 Assignment 66 5 Showing not telling 68 Reacting and interacting with people and surroundings 68 Feeling the heat 70 Shivering against the cold 72 Case study 73 Revealing emotions 74 Expressing feelings 75 Case study 77 Moving your characters around the room 78 Speeding and slowing the pace with vocabulary 78 Flashing back and forth in time 80 Checklist 83 Assignment 84 6 Writing realistic dialogue 85 Developing a good ear 85 Acting out a situation 87 Losing your temper 92 Falling in love 93 Creating realistic accents and dialects 94 Case study 94 Swearing and slang 96 Case study 97 Checklist 98 Assignment 98

C O N T E N T S / vii 7 Finding true love 100 Writing a romance 100 Finding flaws attractive 101 Overcoming insurmountable obstacles 102 Driving fast cars and wearing fancy clothes 105 Enjoying sex and food 106 Heightening all the senses 107 Bringing the hero and heroine together 108 Historical settings 108 Checklist 110 Assignment 110 8 Haunting, thrilling and killing 111 Introducing a note of suspense 111 Confronting the fears within 112 Case study 113 Contrasting normality with terror 115 Writing a murder mystery 116 Case study 118 Choosing a murder weapon 118 Plotting and planning 120 Twisting the tale 123 Looking to the future 125 Checklist 128 Assignment 128 9 Writing for children 129 Thinking back to your childhood 129 Looking at life through a child’s eyes 130 Case study 132 Playing around with ideas 134 Writing for educational markets 135 Case study 138 Anthropomorphising animals 139 Writing about children 141 Writing picture books 142 Checklist 144 Assignment 145

viii / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G 146 146 10 Sending your work to a publisher 147 Seeing your work in print 148 Playwriting for your local drama group 149 Writing for established TV characters 150 Entering competitions 151 Vanity publishing 156 Self-publishing 157 Writing a synopsis 161 Presenting your manuscript 162 Approaching an editor 164 Copyrighting and syndication 165 Keeping records Finding support from other writers 169 Glossary 172 Answers to assignments 173 Useful addresses 175 Useful websites 175 Online dictionaries 176 Further reading 179 Index

List of illustrations 1. Analysis sheet 10 2. Framework for article 17 3. Suggested format for potted history 34 4. First background for young, smart anchor-woman for regional news programme 39 5. Second background for young, smart 42 anchor-woman for regional news programme 6. Map of fictional location 59 7. Plan of obstacles to romance 104 8. Outline for crime novel 122 9. Twist clue format 124 10. Sample outline for non-fiction book 154 11. Sample chase-up letter 155 12. Sample covering letter 160 13. Sample front sheet 160 14. Suggested headings for expenditure record 166 15. Suggested headings for income record 166 ix

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Preface WHAT IS CREATIVE WRITING? When I first wrote this book, the term ‘creative writer’ con- jured up an image of the artistic amateur. Few of the students who joined my classes had any idea what creative writing was or understood the workings of the publishing industry. Things have changed dramatically in the intervening years and now, when each new course begins, I find that most of my students are extremely knowledgeable about the business of writing. They will have seen writing competitions featured on television, heard about writing initiatives on radio. They will have read about university degree courses in creative writing, joined book clubs or discovered the wealth of information available on writers’ websites on the Internet. So, what is creative writing? Chambers Dictionary defines creative as ‘Having the power to create, that creates, showing, pertaining to, imagination, originality’ and writing as ‘The act of one whowrites, that which is written, literary production or composition’. Therefore, the term ‘creative writing’ may be defined as: Having the power to create an imaginative, original literary production or composition and can be applied to avery broad spectrum of writing genres. In this book we will be looking at: X ways of drawing on personal experience in order to write non-fiction articles on a wide variety of topics in a number of different styles xi

xii / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G X fiction writing and the world of genre fiction – science, romance, horror and crime X writing for children which requires specialised skills that, once mastered, bring enormous satisfaction to both the writer and the reader X the impact of the Internet on the creative writer and the benefits of Information Computer Technology. Finally, there will be advice and guidance on how to turn your writing into a marketable commodity for, even though many people set out to write purely for their own pleasure, there is little doubt that nothing can compare to the thrill of having work accepted for publication and reading it from a printed page. AUTHOR’S NOTE I would like to thank authors Patricia Burns, Martina Cole, Jonathan Gash, Michael Green, Susan Moody, Margaret Nash and Ruth Rendell, agents Carole Blake of Blake Fried- mann, Peters Fraser & Dunlop, editor Richard Bell of Writers News, Harcourt Education Ltd. and Lonely Planet for their invaluable contributions to this book. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Art of Coarse Sailing, Michael Green, Arrow Books. Cinnamon Alley, Patricia Burns, Century Arrow. Hush-a-Bye, Susan Moody, Hodder & Stoughton. The Judas Pair, Jonathan Gash, Collins/Viking Penguin. Some Lie and Some Die, Ruth Rendell, Arrow Books. The Ladykiller, Martina Cole, Hodder Headline. Ade`le Ramet

1 Getting Started MAKING TIME TOWRITE One of the first rules to remember is that writers write. You should write something every day, even if all you do with the finished piece is tear it up and throw it away. Writing something, anything, every day will enable you to build up the discipline and commitment required to ensure that you can produce a complete manuscript in whatever genre you choose. Giving yourself permission to write Due to a common misconception that unless you are a pub- lished novelist, you cannot be considered a ‘real’ writer, novice authors often find it difficult to convince either their nearest and dearest or, indeed, themselves that their desire to write should be taken seriously. However, even the most famous authors had to start some- where, so don’t be put off by outside pressures. Be assured that your writing is more important than: X mowing the lawn X washing the dishes X cleaning, dusting, gardening 1

2 / CREATIVE WRITING or any other similar activity that will keep you from your pen and paper. Locking the door One successful Mills & Boon author states that, once she had made up her mind to become a novelist, she turned one room of her house into a study, locked the door and forbade anyone to enter whilst she was working. You may not feel you have to go quite this far but it is important to set aside both a space in your home where you can work and make a regular time to write. Making time Lack of time is, perhaps, the most commonly used excuse for not putting pen to paper. This can be justified with a number of perfectly credible explanations: X You have a demanding full-time job. X You have a large family. X You have to get those seedlings planted. X You have too many other commitments. X You’re too tired. Perhaps all these excuses can be rolled into one simple explanation: X You don’t think you’re good enough. Building confidence Lack of confidence is a major stumbling block for the would- be writer. There is no easy way round this but if you really want towrite, the onlyoption is to get on and do it. Taking the following steps can help:

GETTING STARTED / 3 X Set aside a corner in your home solely for your writing. X Keep a notebook in which to jot down ideas. X Select a suitable time to write each day and stick to it. X Give yourself a time limit for writing, say, an hour a day to begin with. X Write something every day and even if you think it’s ter- rible, retain it until the next day. X Begin by re-reading what you wrote yesterday; at the very least it will encourage you to rewrite. At best, it will be much better than you thought and spur you on to write more. X Buy a good dictionary and thesaurus. X Manuscripts intended for publication must be typewrit- ten so, if possible, use a personal computer (PC). The more professional your writing looks, the more profes- sional you will feel. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS? Having made the decision to write, the next step is finding something to write about. Watching the world go by Watch how people behave in everyday situations, jotting down ideas in your notebook as they occur to you. The next time you go to the supermarket, for example, observe the behaviour of the other customers. Take a few seconds to chat to the checkout girl or the assistant who packs your shopping. Listen not only to the words they say but to how they say them.

4 / CREATIVE WRITING If you commute to work, use your journey time to study your fellow travellers. Try to imagine what sort of homes they come from and how they might lead their lives. Whatever situation you find yourself in during your daily life, observe the people around you. Not only should you watch but you must also listen. Writers are terrible eavesdroppers and will shamelessly listen in on the most private conversations. You can pick up some won- derful snippets that will effortlessly turn themselves into ideas for all sorts of things, from brief letters to your favourite magazine, factual articles explaining the apparently inexplic- able, to lengthy works of fiction. Keeping an eye on the media Perhaps the richest sources of ideas are newspapers, tele- vision and radio. Keep your eyes and ears open for the unusual stories and quirky programmes tucked away between the major items. All kinds of things can capture your imagination. For example, a BBC Radio 4 programme about the poten- tially dull topic of making a will inspired me to write a short story for Bella magazine’s ‘Mini Mystery’ page. The pro- gramme highlighted the legal pitfalls facing people who wish to make unusual wills and the idea captured my imagination. Having gleaned the necessary technical legal information, I soon had the protagonist, beneficiary and terms of the will clearly formed in my mind. From there, it was a short step to writing the story, sending it off to my editor and seeing it in print.

GETTING STARTED / 5 Sources of ideas Ideas are all around you, if only you can train yourself to find them. Listed below are just a few possible sources: X airports X beaches X buses, coaches, planes and trains X cafe´ s and restaurants X clubs X doctors’/dentists’ surgeries X hairdressers X school playgrounds X shops X stations. The list is endless but as a general rule, ideas are to be found anywhere a number of people gather in one place. WRITING AURALLY AND VISUALLY Having developed your watching and listening skills, it can nevertheless be quite difficult to set them down on paper. More often than not, a phrase that sounded wonderful in your head looks dull and lifeless when it hits the page. Later in the book, we will be looking at ways of bringing your writing to life and obtaining that vital ingredient, reader identification. You will learn how to stimulate the reader’s senses so that they identify with the people being portrayed, see and hear the sights and sounds you are attempting to convey.

6 / CREATIVE WRITING Long descriptive passages, no matter how beautifully writ- ten, can be very dull without dialogue, action or interaction to liven them up. People enjoy reading about people, so even the most factual non-fiction article can be enriched by the inclusion of a brief interview with an acknowledged expert or a comment from someone involved in the featured topic. For fiction, too, there is no better way to convey setting, atmosphere, sights, sounds and scents than through the reac- tions of your characters. Whatever genre you choose, be sure you know the true mean- ing of each word you use, consulting your dictionary and thesaurus whenever you are unsure about the spelling or context of a word or phrase. DRAWING ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES One of the first rules awould-be writer learns is to ‘write about what you know’. If, however, this rule is taken too literally, few writers would ever gain the requisite knowledge to write an historical romance, murder mystery or science fiction novel. Far more practical is the advice from bestselling author Martina Cole to ‘Write about what you know and if you don’t know – find out’. You don’t need to have lived in a previous century, be a murderer or travel in space to write genre fiction. Thorough research into the background against which your story is set should provide you with the factual information you require.

GETTING STARTED / 7 Expert knowledge is invaluable, of course. Years spent in industry or in the legal, nursing or teaching profession; seeing active service in the armed forces; bringing up a familyon a low fixed income; working long shifts on a factory assembly line; running and perhaps losing your own business – any one of these and similar experiences offers a wealth of information on which you can draw, but factual accuracy is only one aspect of writing. You also have to find a way to breathe life into the characters featured in your articles and stories and this comes from your experience of personal rela- tionships, both good and bad. From our earliest memories of childhood through our school- days to adult friendships, romantic attachments, experiences at work and in our domestic lives, everything that went into forming our character has a part to play in our writing. LOOKING BACK INTO YOUR PAST There is little doubt that anyone with a chequered past will have plenty to write about but many of us feel we have done very little in our lives worth committing to paper. On closer inspection, however, this is very rarely the case. Take yourself right back to your earliest memories. How did you feel when: X you were told off for being naughty? X you were picked on by other children? X you missed out on a treat? X your parents argued? X you got detention at school? X you had to have treatment in hospital?

8 / CREATIVE WRITING X a family trauma made you realise that nothing at home would be the same again? These are just a few experiences many children share, but try going up a notch in age and see if you can recall how you felt when: X you left home X started your first day at work X travelled abroad on your own X got your first cheque book X bought your own car. Seeking reader identification By now, you may be wondering how such very ordinary, everyday experiences can possibly be relevant to creative writing. Surely writing is all about escapism, original ideas, unusual situations, not about opening a ‘Young Saver’ bank account? Of course, you’re right. Originality is a vital ingredient in any piece of writing, fact or fiction, but then so is realism. Without realism, you cannot have reader identification and it is this element that brings your work vividly to life. Observing everyday life Michael Green, professional journalist and author of many humorous non-fiction books, offers the following excellent advice to would-be writers: ‘Observe everyday life with a writer’s eye. There lies your material. Carry a notebook and jot down any ideas that come or incidents you can see.’

GETTING STARTED / 9 READ, READ, READ Whatever your writing interest may be, fiction or non- fiction, literary novels or specialist articles, you should read anything and everything in your chosen genre. Reading with a writer’s eye This book is designed to help you understand how to read with a writer’s eye, taking the time to analyse how an author manages to grab your attention and hold it so that you keep on reading through to the end. Your notebook will become a valuable source of reference. Failure to write ideas down can result in you losing them altogether. Committing them to paper helps commit them to memory and stimulate new writing projects. Use the questionnaire in Figure 1 to analyse published exam- ples of your particular writing interest. Whether you intend to write non-fiction articles, short stories or novels, you will discover that the same basic principles apply. As your critical faculties develop, you may find your reading enjoyment is spoilt by the way technical points you were previously unaware of suddenly become glaringly obvious. Gradually, however, as your new-found understanding helps you to appreciate the skills being employed, the sheer plea- sure of reading something that is both beautifully written and well-constructed will return and increase. By the time this stage is reached, your own writing will be showing a marked improvement.

The following questions are designed to provide an insight into the techniques employed by published authors of both fact and ¢ction to catch and hold their readers’attention. Yes No 1. Was the ¢rst sentence shorter than the others & & in the opening paragraph? & 2. Was the ¢rst paragraph shorter than the second? & & 3. Did the ¢rst paragraph tell you what the article/ & & story was about? & & & 4. What was it about the article/story that made & & you read on? & & (a) You wanted to know how to perform a & speci¢c task & (b) You found the topic fascinating & & (c) You discovered something you didn’t know & & before (d) You had to know what happened next & (e) You wanted to ¢nd out how it all ended & 5. Was the middle informative/entertaining? & & 6. Was it set out in a logical order? & & & 7. Did each section/scene lead you on to read & & the next? & 8. Did you feel compelled to keep reading? & 9. If characters were included, could you relate & to them? 10. Did the end bring the whole thing to a logical & conclusion? 11. Was the ending satisfactory? & 12. Were all the questions answered/loose ends & tied up? 13. Did the author deliver what they promised? & 14. Did you enjoy reading it? & 15. Would you read more by this author? & Answers to the above questions should mostly be ‘Yes’. Fig. 1. Analysis sheet. 10

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D / 11 CHECKLIST 1. Do you read extensively? 2. Have you set aside a time to write each day? 3. Do you keep a notebook of ideas? 4. Do you have a good dictionary, thesaurus and access to reference material? 5. Have you considered how the use of computers impacts on your own writing ambitions? 6. Are you writing about what you know? ASSIGNMENT Take your notebook and jot down 10 ideas for articles or stories. By the time you have finished reading this book, you should have developed at least one of those ideas into a workable outline.

2 Writing Non-Fiction WRITING ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW As we saw in the previous chapter, one of the first pieces of advice any would-be writer learns is to write about what you know. This can be interpreted as anything from factual articles about a hobby, profession or skill to writing your life- story. You can be sure that everyone has experience in one area or another that will be of interest to someone else. CASE STUDY: VAL EXPRESSES HER OPINIONS Val is a forceful lady in her mid-fifties. She writes clearly and expresses herself well on paper. She has written several articles complaining about a variety of goods and services which, although important to her, are neither topical nor of much interest to anyone else. She has tried to have her articles published in a number of women’s magazines but to date, they have all been rejected. LETTING OFF STEAM For the avid newspaper and magazine reader, the temptation to write a learned piece complaining about the state of the nation or the rising price of a pack of frozen peas can be overwhelming. 12

W R I T I N G N O N - F I C T I O N / 13 It is tempting to try to emulate controversial comment col- umns in the hope that a discerning editor will be keen to give pride of place to our words of wisdom. Sadly, this is rarely the case. Comment columns are usually written by staff writers, well- known journalists or political analysts. These are the profes- sionals considered by the media to be qualified to comment on ‘life, the universe and everything’. However, as the infamous ‘Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells’ discovered, there is an outlet for the man or woman in the street to voice their opinion and that is through the readers’ letters page. Sending letters to editors The letters page in any publication is an excellent way of letting off steam in print. It can also be a way of earning small amounts of cash or gifts for your writing. If you like the idea of making your voice heard, you stand a better chance of having a letter published if you follow a few simple rules: X Write clearly and neatly or, if possible, type your letter. X Address it to the correct person. X Keep it brief and to the point. X Make it as topical as possible. X Write about something relevant to the publication’s readership.

14 / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G X A brief word of praise for the publication always helps. X Invite comments or advice from other readers. X Never send the same letter to more than one magazine at the same time. These pages operate on the assumption that all letters are from regular readers of their publica- tion. CHANGING WORK INTO LEISURE There are literally hundreds of magazine titles listed in trade directories, a large proportion of which potentially offer opportunities for non-fiction writers. Knowing your subject Just a few of the categories intowhich these magazines fall are listed below: X animals and pets X arts and entertainment X business and finance X computers X general interest X hobbies X home X motoring X music X sports X trade and professional X transport X women’s interests.

W R I T I N G N O N - F I C T I O N / 15 Even more opportunities for would-be columnists can be found in local interest publications, parish magazines, local newspapers, club magazines etc. Becoming a ‘stringer’ If you regularly write to the letters page of a newspaper or county magazine about items of importance to the residents in your area, you may be contacted and asked if you will become a ‘stringer’. This involves keeping an eye out for snippets of news and views on local issues and phoning them in to the editor. Many regular columnists in specialist magazines begin their writing careers in this way before graduating to their own regular column. Experts who can express themselves clearly and be relied upon to produce manuscripts on demand are few and far between. Specialist magazines and small local newspapers can offer a wonderful opportunity to pursue your writing interest by sharing information with other readers. Constructing an article Writing about something you enjoy can be a real labour of love. If you have the ability to impart your enthusiasm and expertise to a like-minded reader, your pleasure will be increased immeasurably by seeing your words on the pages of your favourite magazine. Constructing a readable article is, however, not as easy as it looks. First you must study your chosen magazine and famil- iarise yourself with the length and style of their articles. Your

16 / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G opening sentence should give a clear indication of what the article is about and once you begin writing, keep to the point and don’t get sidetracked. If, for example, you are a recognised connoisseur of real ales and you want to explain how to assess a prize-winning pint, you might open the article with something along the following lines: With the growth in popularity of real ale, brewers are becoming highly competitive. Brewing a prize-winning pint takes skill and dedication but by following a few basic guidelines, you can find yourself up there with the front runners. Anyone reading the article would be in no doubt as to its content and having caught their attention, you now hold it by taking them step by step through the promised guidelines. Your closing paragraph should bring the article neatly back to the beginning, finishing with something like: Follow these few principles and before long, your ale will take its place on the list of home-produced, award-winning real ales. You could add to this a list of competitions and national events open to real ale brewers and drinkers but very little more would be needed other than some captioned photo- graphs to illustrate the piece.

W R I T I N G N O N - F I C T I O N / 17 A simple framework of an article is set out in Figure 2. The main constituents are: X a good, attention-grabbing introduction X a middle, arranged in a logical order, which keeps to the subject and delivers the information promised in the introduction X an ending which rounds the article off, bringing it logically back to the beginning. INTRODUCTION Introduce the subject, go straight to the (Beginning) point, e.g.: CONTENT (Middle) ‘With the growth in popularity of real END ale. . . .’ Keep to the point of the article, dealing with each relevant item in a logical order, e.g.: X How to assess the quality, i.e. ‘Points to look for . . .’ X Tips for brewing your own prize-win- ning ales. X List of quality brews. X Where to find good ales. Round off article by bringing it back to the beginning, e.g. ‘Follow the basic principles and before long, your ale will take its place on the list of home- produced award-winning real ales.’ Fig. 2. Framework for article.

18 / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G Ideally, your opening sentence should be shorter than all the rest and should grab the reader’s attention by immediately telling them what the article is about. The more technical the magazine, the more factual your article should be. Illustrations in the form of colour slides, photographs or diagrams are always useful. These should be sensibly cap- tioned, so that it is clear what section of the text they relate to, something like: A judge samples my latest brew. Expanding your idea From one article idea can spring several more. Perhaps you could follow up the first article with an interview with a brewer and this in turn might lead to a visit to a beer festival and yet another article about that. Before long, you could find yourself becoming a regular contributor to a whole range of magazines. RELATING YOUR LIFE-STORY One popular non-fiction topic creative writers like to embark upon is their autobiography. Almost everyone has a tale to tell, many of which are fas- cinating, even verging on the unbelievable. Those who have lived through some pretty amazing experiences understand- ably want to write them down, both for their own personal satisfaction and to provide a written record for future generations. Examining your motivation Before you begin to write your life-story, however, it is worth

W R I T I N G N O N - F I C T I O N / 19 examining exactly what your motives are, so ask yourself the following questions: 1. Do I have a fascinating tale to tell? 2. Is my story unique? 3. Do I need to confront my past in order to move on in my life? 4. Do I wish to leave my family a record of my life? 5. Do I want to give hope to others? 6. Do I want to have my autobiography published? Being famous If the answer to question 6 is ‘yes’ the next question has to be ‘Am I famous?’ Unfortunately, if you’re not, then the chances of having your book accepted by a publisher are very slim indeed. The fact is that the majority of autobiographical books being published at the moment feature celebrities currently in the news, be they supermodels in their early twenties, sporting personalities, leading politicians or famous names from the world of film and television. Compared to yours, their lives may have been extremely dull before they were propelled into the public eye but it’s the here and now that matters and in today’s throwaway media, fame is everything. Informing the public Many successful autobiographies do more than tell the author ’s life-story. They also provide a documentary

20 / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G record of historical incidents and procedures which may have been hidden from the public eye. An autobiography which performs any one of the following functions might well be of interest to an appropriate publisher. X Describes a practice which has been concealed from the public, e.g. sending orphanage children to Australia. X Details the author ’s recovery from a potentially life- threatening illness or condition. X Is an account of the author’s experiences as a hostage, either political or during a crime. X Tells the story of a kidnap or hijack victim. X Gives information about a turning point in the author’s life towhich others can relate, e.g. nursing a disabled child. X Details the sequence of events which led to the author setting up an international charitable organisation. Providing a family record For many creative writers, the sole motivation for writing their autobiography is to provide a family record for future generations. A written record will be enhanced by the inclusion of cap- tioned family photographs and thanks to the growth of desktop publishing, on payment of a relatively small amount, you can have your family history professionally printed and bound. This will ensure that all the information is kept together and is presented in an attractive, user- friendly way.

W R I T I N G N O N - F I C T I O N / 21 Shop around in the writing press to obtain several quotes from reputable sources but don’t be tempted to stray into the realms of vanity publishing. These organisations, purporting to offer a publishing service to authors, can charge several hundred or even thousands of pounds for a volume which would cost a reputable printer a fraction of the price to produce. We will be looking at vanity publishing later in the book but if you are in any doubt about the authenticity of a publisher, remember the writer’s golden rule: YOU NEVER PAY PUBLISHERS – THEY PAY YOU For a detailed listing of reputable book and magazine pub- lishers, see The Writers and Artists Yearbook (published by A & C Black). Contributing to national archives One increasingly popular method of recording your life experiences has evolved through the rapid growth of inter- active media such as the Internet, digital television and digital radio programmes. There are regular appeals, locally, nationally and on the web for contributions to historical initiatives not only for television and radio programmes but also for exhibitions and archives to be held in museums, universities and community centres. One recent project of this type was the BBC’s ‘People’s War’, which ran throughout 2005. Through publicity on BBC tele- vision, radio and the BBC website, members of the public were invited to send accounts of their Second World War

22 / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G experiences for an historical archive to be made accessible for future generations. Although the BBC is no longer taking contributions, to see the sort of story they were looking for, you can access the archive on www.bbc.co.uk/dna.ww2/. Whilst there is no payment for contributions, such projects offer an excellent opportunity to see your life experiences become part of a valuable historical record for posterity. Fictionalising the truth Researching and writing your autobiography can prove ther- apeutic in more ways than one. For many, it is a way of exorcising traumatic events, con- fronting their feelings and working their way through bitter experiences. It can also provide a wealth of material for a fictional novel. Whilst a publisher is unlikely to consider the true story of a so-called ‘ordinary’ person, fictionalising your extraordinary life offers a more viable route to seeing your work in print. Changing the names If you do decide to turn your autobiography into a work of fiction, the names of your characters and their locations should be fictional too. You may also need to alter the facts in order to make the whole thing more believable. Even though a sequence of events actually happened, it can appear to be extremely unlikely. If this is true of your life-story bear in mind that, whilst truth is often stranger than fiction, for the pur- poses of publication, fiction has to make sense.

W R I T I N G N O N - F I C T I O N / 23 TELLING TRAVELLERS’ TALES For many of us, travel writing involves keeping a diary and photograph album as a pleasurable reminder of our holidays to enjoy during long winter evenings at home. Writing arti- cles about your travels with a view to publication needs a very different approach. Passing on information The majority of travel features are written by professional staff writers or compiled by travel editors. Some magazines include small snippets of information about specialist breaks. These are usually confined to details of family fun days, singles or economy breaks and these sections offer the best publishing opportunity for new writers. Wishing you weren’t here One of the biggest problems facing the would-be travel writer is understanding the requirements of the travel industry and the tourist policy of the country they will, by their article, be promoting. A good travel article should not be a blow by blow account of your particular holiday, nor your reactions to the people you met and the places you visited. Nor is it an opportunity for you to relate your tale of woe about the appalling journey you suffered in order to reach a half-built hotel, miles from the nearest beach. Taking a free trip Magazines use travel articles to inform their readers about holidays which will best suit them, so some of the points that should be included are:

24 / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G X where to stay X whether the location is suitable for families X the safety of the beaches X facilities available X whether it is noisy or quiet X what sort of nightlife it offers X what the food is like, cost and availability X places to visit and their accessibility in relation to the resort X how to get there – a choice of methods is useful X the cost of travel and accommodation – again, a selection should be given. Whilst professional travel writers receive ‘free’ trips from tourist boards and travel companies, these are in return for guaranteed coverage in well-known publications, so the writer must be able to fulfil the following criteria: X they must be prepared to follow a set itinerary X publication for articles must be guaranteed in at least one reputable magazine X any articles must include the features specified by the sponsoring company X articles must be published to coincide with specific publicity drives.

W R I T I N G N O N - F I C T I O N / 25 Without some kind of a track record as a freelance article writer, it is unlikely that you would be invited by any travel company to take a free trip. Travelling light Travel books are a very different kettle of fish. They range from guidebooks produced by tourist boards to exciting tales of daring-do. The intrepid traveller who crosses deserts, scales mountains and shoots rapids equipped with little more than a change of underwear, a toothbrush and a blunt penknife will clearly have a fascinating tale to tell. It is, however, worth bearing in mind that, more often than not, our canny explorer already has a publishing contract signed and sealed before the toe of his or her walking boot hits the floor of the departure lounge at Heathrow airport. Guiding and informing For would-be travel writers, keen to master what is a highly specialised skill, travel guides such as the Lonely Planet series can be an excellent place to begin. Aimed at the independent, adventurous traveller, these practical guides offer their read- ers clear, down-to-earth information to support them with their journeys around the globe. At the time of writing, Lonely Planet are looking for authors who can meet the following criteria set out in the guidelines on their website:

26 / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G ‘Bare necessities O Professional writing experience. O Specialised knowledge of a city, country or region. O Ability to write vibrantly, with authority and attitude. O Excellent research and organisational skills. O On-the-road experience using Lonely Planet guides. O ‘Tools of the trade’, eg computer hardware and soft- ware. O Ability to work independently. It’s a bonus if you also have: O Travel writing experience. O Written or spoken foreign language skills (this is essential for some destinations). O Specific areas of expertise, such as art, music, wildlife, other cultures, food, languages, outdoor activities and other travel-related pursuits. Submitting an application to be an author Before submitting, do your homework. Tell exactly what you can offer Lonely Planet. Tell about your travel experience. Are you interested in a certain part of the world, or a particular Lonely Planet series? Do you have an idea for a brand new book or series? Do you want to write a new guidebook or update an existing one? New authors are generally given a small project for their first contract and then take on bigger assignments from there.’ You will need to send a CV and details of your published work to the address listed on page 173 at the end of this book so before submitting anything, you would be well advised to

W R I T I N G N O N - F I C T I O N / 27 check out the information on the Lonely Planet website at www.lonelyplanet.com/about. Scroll down the page to ‘Work for Us’ and click on the link ‘Become an Author’. Playing safe Between the two ends of the scale, the standard guidebook and the one-off adventure, there is an incredibly wide range of topics for the seasoned traveller to write about. Listed below are just a few suggestions: X handy hints on packing X travelling throughout pregnancy and with a baby X value family fun days out X holidays on a budget X backpackers’ guides to a range of countries (series) X travelling alone X locations off the beaten track X travelling across continents by train/bicycle/car/motor- bike etc. With a little imagination and a lot of experience, setting down your travelling tales on paper could lead to endless oppor- tunities, not least of which is to provide a realistic, atmospheric and exciting background for a fictional novel. CASE STUDY: LEN TAKES LIFE IN HIS STRIDE Len lived and worked in Spain for several years up to his retirement, when he decided to return to the UK. He is easy-going with a ready wit

28 / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G and likes to try his hand at most forms of writing. He keeps a close eye on local issues and his witty, topical letters to the local newspaper are regularly printed. He is currently enjoying writing a series of humorous articles about his experiences living and working abroad. FINDING FUNNY MOMENTS A sense of humour is one of the most useful assets any writer can possess. Seeing the funny side If you are one of those fortunate beings who has the capacity to see the funny side of even the most difficult situations, your writing will benefit a thousandfold. Having fun with your hobby Michael Green is one author who has made a successful career out of the humorous aspect of his hobbies. His Coarse series is required reading for every weekend sailor, rugby player, golfer and amateur actor. With an innate ability to home in on the way the average person will go through hell and high water in the name of their favourite leisure activity, Michael’s books keep you laughing from the very first line, as the opening to The Art of Coarse Sailing demonstrates. Every year I swear I won’t spend my holiday sailing again. Considering I say this annually, it’s surprising how much sailing I’ve managed to do. Each time I return bruised, bat- tered and suffering from incipient scurvy, with a great dent worn in my buttocks and I say, ‘That was terrific fun but next year I’m going to do something restful’. And somehow twelve months later I’m banging the same dent in the same place

W R I T I N G N O N - F I C T I O N / 29 with the edge of a cockpit coaming or crawling on hands and knees in some stinking bilge. (The Art of Coarse Sailing, Michael Green, Arrow Books) Michael has a gift for highlighting the romantic ideal and contrasting it with the less than pleasant reality. More impor- tantly, he has a real enthusiasm for and knowledge of his subjects. His Coarse books are not simply amusing accounts of his adventures, they are genuinely informative and packed with colourful characters who embellish and add to his misfortunes. FOLLOWING WHERE YOUR IDEAS LEAD YOU Writing non-fiction is a useful method of getting your ideas down on paper. It also helps you to understand the impor- tance of accurate research and is awayof training you towork methodically and to a set routine. Trying something new Having identified just a few of the topics your past experience will equip you to write about, the next step is to sit down and do it. CHECKLIST 1. Can you put information over clearly and concisely, in a way that is easy for your reader to understand? 2. Do you have something new and original to say? 3. Do you want to leave something for your family to remember you by?

30 / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G 4. Could your true-life experiences provide the basis for an exciting fictional novel? 5. Would writing about your experiences be both therapeu- tic for you and useful for others? 6. Are you sure you have the expertise and discipline required to write for specialist markets? ASSIGNMENT Pick a topical item of local importance, preferably one which matters to you personally and write a letter about it to the editor of your local newspaper. Keep the letter brief and to the point and if you can, type it. Remember, for the best chance of publication, your letter should be just controversial enough to invite further comment.

3 Creating Fictional Characters BASING CHARACTERS ON REAL PEOPLE When interviewing authors plugging their latest book, one of the most frequent questions asked by the presenter is ‘Are your characters based on real people?’ The answer invariably given is ‘Not exactly’. In order to be convincing, fictional characters must ring true. The reader should be able to relate to them and identify with them, but the description needs only to be sufficient to project a recognisable image. After all, as the average reader is unlikely to have met her, there is little point in faithfully producing an accurately detailed word-picture of Great-Aunt Edna. Worse still, if Edna had something of a reputation in her day, you could end up causing offence and even leaving yourself open to a possible lawsuit if you get your facts wrong. Mixing and matching The best way of avoiding this is to come up with a composite impression of Aunty which will satisfy interested relatives that she was the inspiration for your character, but is far enough removed to keep you out of the law courts. 31

32 / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G As with an autobiographical account, mixing and matching enhances your characters and surprisingly, often helps to make them more believable. Stereotyping and cliche¤ s Stereotypes can be very useful in fiction. Used with caution, they offer an instantly recognisable framework on which to base your character. However, writers who attempt to portray their own racist, sexist or socially stereotypical images invariably cause offence and these views do nothing to improve their characterisation. Portraying a multicultural society Chapter 1 highlighted the importance of writing about what you know, with the proviso that you should not limit yourself purely to your own personal experience. Research plays a vital role in providing background information but research alone is unlikely to adequately equip you with the insight required to create characters from social, sexual, religious or ethnic groups of whom you have only a fleeting knowledge. When you consider that, for some authors, simply attempting to write from the viewpoint of a member of the opposite sex can be extremely daunting, straying into unfamiliar cultures and societies can be a recipe for disaster. This is a highly sensitive aspect of writing, which should be treated with a great deal of respect. Writing as an insider Conversely, inside knowledge is one of the greatest writing strengths you possess. The more you can draw on a back- ground and culture you know inside out for your settings and

C R E A T I N G F I C T I O N A L C H A R A C T E R S / 33 characters, the more vividly realistic your stories will become. We will be looking at political correctness in the chapter on children’s writing but always bear in mind that without depth of personality, your characters will be cliche´ d and cardboard. It is essential, therefore, when building characters, that you can empathise with them through your own in-depth knowl- edge of their way of life. Giving them a past Just like real people, fictional characters don’t simply appear fully-grown. They have parents, backgrounds, siblings and experiences that shape their personalities and influence their current behaviour. As soon as a suitable character comes into your head, be sure that you know what sort of person they are. Write a potted history or CV, as illustrated in the suggested format in Figure 3, which will give you an insight into their moti- vation for behaving as they do. Testing for realism Whilst stereotyping can be a useful method of character- isation, be aware that different people have different perceptions. If you belong to a writers’ circle or class, the following group exercise is a useful one: 1. Write a selection of job titles such as teacher, plumber, TV presenter, sculptor, nurse etc, on pieces of paper then distribute them among the group, allocating the same job title to two members at a time, e.g. if there are 8 group members, 2 will have teacher, 2 plumber and so on.

NAME: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AGE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . APPEARANCE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (hair, eye colour, height, weight, build etc.) MARITAL STATUS: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CURRENT HOME: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OCCUPATION:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PARENTS: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (alive or dead?) SIBLINGS:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (names, ages, marital status etc.) CHILDHOOD: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (happy, sad, traumatic etc.) EDUCATION: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . QUALIFICATIONS: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RELATIONSHIPS: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (past and present) PERSONALITY: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SPECIAL SKILLS: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STRENGTHS: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WEAKNESSES: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANYOTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................................................................... Fig. 3. Suggested format for potted history. 34

C R E A T I N G F I C T I O N A L C H A R A C T E R S / 35 2. Ask each member to write their own description of the character the job title conjures up. 3. Now ask each member to read their description out in turn for the rest of the group to guess the job of the character being described. Despite the fact that some of the group members will have been asked to write about the same character, the descrip- tions will probably be very different. Each image will, nevertheless, be an identifiable stereotype. CASE STUDY: BILL TAKES A PRACTICAL APPROACH Bill is a businessman in his late forties who travels extensively as part of his job both in the UK and abroad. The father of teenage children, he has had quite a chequered career, serving in the armed forces for a time and then as a prison officer. His past and present occupations have meant that he has learned how to relate to a wide variety of people on vastly different levels from all sectors of society. Consequently, he has developed the ability to predict how people are likely to react in stressful situations. He is currently writing a novel set against a background of the prison service which contains sufficient conflict and realism to make it compelling reading. Seeing your characters in context Having established that different people have different per- ceptions, another dimension to characterisation is the context in which your characters are set. Using a TV Presenter from the above list as an example, there are a variety of options open to us, depending on the style, tone and genre of the novel. The character could be a:

36 / C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G X young, attractive ex-sportsman/woman, activity game- show host X young anchor-man/woman for regional/national news programme X investigative journalist for consumer programme X ageing newsreader, concerned about fading looks X ex-actor-turned-magazine-columnist, presenting after- noon magazine-style programme X ex-pop-singer-turned-children’s TV presenter X ex-politician-turned-political interviewer/commentator. The title ‘TV Presenter’ clearly has a very wide interpreta- tion. The character can be male or female, young or ageing. The one thing all of these characters have in common is that they work in a high-profile, fast-moving industry in which their status and job security is measured against their posi- tion in the viewing ratings. Fitting into the storyline Having determined the age, sex and personality of your char- acter, he or she must now be placed into the context of the story you are writing. VISUALISING BACKGROUNDS Whether it is a thriller, romance, lifestyle or detective story, yourcharacter has to behave in a realistic and believ- ableway. In order to do this, they must be seen to be the sort of person who would opt for the course of action you have in mind for them.